Pipe coating apparatus



Feb. 1, 1944.

J. R. HORRIGAN PIPE COATING APPARATUS Sheets-Sham l Filed May '18, 1942 .N man .www

TI wm -.1

f. m. A @w d Feb. l, 1944. J. R. HORRIGAN PIPE COATING APPARATUS -3 Shee'tsSheat 2 Filed May 18, 1942 Fig 3f .y

/A/vfNroR J A? Horr/'gan TTORNE Y Fb 1,1944. J R HORMGAN 2,340,325

PIPE COATING APPARATUS Filed May 18, 1942 s sheets-shew 5 1796. A -lfigl Patented Feb. l, i944 PIPE COATING APPARATUS Joseph R. Horrigan, Houston, Tex., assignor to Lewis Perrault and Alnslie Perrault, composing f gie copartnership of Perrault Brothers, Tulsa,

kia.

Application May 18, 1942, Serial No. l1443,537

(ci. sil-L44) Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for coating cylindrical bodies such as pipe, tubing and the like with a protective covering of bituminous or asphaltic material and the like.

Heretofore traveling pipe coating machines utilizing the pipe as a track have been bulksome,

top heavy and cumbersome in that the coating supply tank has been supported in the top of the apparatus along with the necessary actuating mechanism. Furthermore, coating shoes for applying the coating material to the pipe have necessarily utilized spacer members to provide a clearance between the inner periphery of lthe shoe and the pipe, in order to provide a desired thickness, said shoe being resiliently mounted for assuring proper position of the shoe with respect to the pipe. In most instances the coating is' discharged from a hopper above the pipe into the shoe to be 'directly discharged onto the top surface of the pipe where it is allowed to flow into the lower portion of the shoe 'acting as a bath or reservoir to assure coating ofthe under surface of the pipe.

An important object of this invention is to pro-,

vide a'coating apparatus wherein the coating material is maintained under pressure and discharged against the entire circumferential surface of a portion of the pipe at one time and in the same plane.

And a further object of this invention is to provide a traveling coating apparatus for a pipe or the like having an annular coating slot capable of variable adjustment in order to provide any desired uniform thickness with a minimum use of coating material.

And still a further object of this invention is to provide a coating apparatus adapted to travel along a pipe wherein the coating shoe is mounted on the machine to permit adjustment of the coating shoe both vertically and horizontally relative to the pipe and thereby assure perfect alignment with the pipe.

And an additional object of this invention is to provide a coating apparatusl adapted to travel on a pipe wherein the coating supply is maintained below the pipe, and the coating material is drawn into a coating shoe having a pair of annular coating slots simultaneously discharging the material over the entire surface of the pipe, said excess coating material being allowed to fall back into the coating supply where it is recycled to the coating shoe.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be evident from the following detailed description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate one form or my invention.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view` of a coating machine supported on a pipe with certain parts omitted for clarity.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevational view of the coating shoe. y

Figure 3 is a view taken on lines 3-3 of Fig ure l with certain parts omitted for clarity.

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the coating shoe with the adjustable ring omitted.

Figure 5 is a side view of one of the rings.

Figure 6 is a sectional elevational View of a modied form of the coating shoe.

Figure 7 is a front elevational view of one portion thereof. A

Figure 8 is a fragmentary elevationalsview showing the dowel rings.

Figure 9 is a front elevation of spreader.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the coating machine is mounted on a, frame comprising longitudinal side members 2 and 4 supporting traction wheels (not shown) said machine being part of a coatingv and wrapping machine disclosed in applicants co-pending application No. 443,538, filed on even date herewith.

A substantially circular apertured plate 6 is secured at one end of the machine for support# the coating ing the wrapping mechanism (not shown) and covered by a. shield 8. A sump tank I0 is supported by the frame below the pipe P and extends substantially the length of the machine.

An annular coating shoe I2 is suspended lfrom the side members 2 and 4 by threaded rods I4 and I6. The upper end portions ofthe rods are apertured in order to cooperate with spaced bracket members I8 carried by the side members.

A bolt and nut secures the rods in the bracketsto provide an adjustable yoke connection. The outer periphery of the coatingshoe is provided with diametrically opposed brackets 20 to which the threaded rods I4 and I8 are adjustably se-' cured by the clamping nuts 22. From the foregoing it will be apparent that the annular shoe I2 can be radially adjusted with limitations with respect to the pipe P.

Referring to Figure 2 the coating shoe comprises a pair of cylindrical housing members 2l and 26 of diierent diameters, with the' inner cylinder A26 disposed in the outer -`cylinder 2 4. The cylinders are secured in proper spaced relation by a plurality of circumferentiallyspaced bolts 28 extending throughcylinder 24 and bearconnection for the modified Y be hereinafter referred to.

ing against the outer periphery of cylinder 2l to allow radial adjustment between the cylinders. The'inner periphery of cylinder 24 adjacent its edge portions is provided with female threads Il for receiving on each side a threaded annulus or apertured ring 32. 'I'he ring 32 i's provided with an angularly disposed annular ange 34 providing a ybevelled face 36. 'I'he threaded cooperaltion of ring 32 with the cylinder 24 allows movement of the flange toward and away from the edge of inner cylinder 26. It will be apparent that two ring members 32 are utilized to provide a pair of adjustable circular coating slots 38 to Coatingmaterial entersa chamber 40 through an aperture 42 communicating with a rotary pump to be hereinafter referred to. A drain plug 44 is disposed diametrically opposite from aperture 42 and allows emitting of coating material from the chamber 40 when the shoe is not in use. The outer periphery of rings 32 are provided with circumferentially spaced handles 46 in order to easily manipulate the threading of the rings with cylinder 24.

The asphaltic material or dope is preferably maintained in the sump tank lll, from which it is fed to the coating shoe. A heating element 48 is preferably arranged diagonally across the sump tank for heating the coating material to be` applied to the pipe.

Referring to Figure 3, the upper portion of one side of the sump tank l is provided with a bracket 50 to which -is secured a rotary pump 52. As shown in Figure 1, a stud shaft 54 extends from the pump and is provided with a toothed sprocket 56 connecting with a drive sprocket of a drive `mechanism (not shown) by a sprocket chain (not shown). The shaft 54 is journaled in a bearing 58 supported on a bracket 68 secured to the end plate 6. The shaft extends through the bearing 58 and an aperture (not shown) in plate 6 to the outside of the apparatus as shown at 62. outer end portion of the shaftw 54 isshaped to receiveany suitable tool allowing manual rotation of the pump prior to rotation of the machine when the coating material may be cold.

A supply conduit 64 provides communication between the shoe inlet aperture 42 and the pump 52. A conduit 66 provides communication between the pump, and the bottom of the sump tank lll where it will be apparent that rotation' of the pump causes ilow of coating material from the sump tank into the pump and through conduit 64 into chamber 40 of the shoe. A fuel tank 68 is supported on a sump I0 for supplying fuel to the heater 48. The tank is provided with asuitable pressure gauge 69.

Operation sprayed onto Vthe pipe in a direction toward the middle or central planeof the shoe. In this manner a uniform thickness of coating material is applied to the entire surface of the pipe, at one Thetime. and in the same piane thereby eliminating p the use of excess coating material and applying only a minimum amount for any specied coating thickness.

As the coating material is applied to the pipe, it is practically free from holidays, bubbles and the like, due to the volume of hot coating material washing out any bubbles that may form.

However, in the event any bubbles or holidays 1 mayoccur, the machine is to be equipped with a semi-circular spreader member 10 (Figs. 1 and 9) suitably connected by hinging yor the like to the rear of the coating shoe I2 preferably on a ring 36. The spreader 'l0 is adapted to overlie the top surface of the pipe in spaced relation thereto and break up any holidays, bubbles or the like caused by application of the coating material. The spreader 10 is provided with adjustable bolts Il adapted to contact the pipe to create a. clearance therebetween. Excess coating material falls back intol the sump tank l0 where it is recirculated by pump 52 to the shoe l2 thereby eliminating any waste whatsoever in the coating material.

From the foregoing it will be-apparent delivery of coating material from the sump tank I0 by the pump to the coating shoe maintains the coat- ,ing material in chamber 40 under pressure to be provided with diametrically opposed flanges l5 adapted to receive bolts (not shown) for securing them together. 1n like manner the inner cylinder segments are provided with 'cooperating anges 'I6 (not shown in Fig. 7) adapted to be secured together by bolts (not shown). As clearly shown in Figure 8, the cooperating threaded rings 'Il are divided and are secured together by a dowel pin and recess 18 or the like in order to provide a unitary ring adapted for threaded engagement with the segmental cylinders. It will be apparent that providing a segmental coating shoe allows easy assembly or removal of the shoe from the .pipe without the necessity of removing the machine entirely off the pipe.

Changes may be made in the combination and arrangement of parts as heretofore set forth in 1 the specification and shown in the drawings, it

departing from the spirit being understood that anymodication in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of the following claims without of the invention. What 1 claim is: y 1. A device for applying coating material to a pipe comprising an annular container surrounding .the pipe in 'spaced non-engaging relation thereto, said container having a pair of continuous circular coating slots in its inner periphery, and annular lips projecting inwardly toward the pipe, from the ends of the containerin close proximity to the slots and having annular inner inclined surfaces extending toward one another, one of said surfaces being inclined in one direction and the other surface being inclined in the opposite direction.

2. A device for applying coating material to a asadsas cular coating slots to vary the size of the slots.

3. In a device for applying coating material to a pipe comprising a coating shoe encircling the pipe and .formed by a pair or cylinders of difierent diameters arranged in radial spaced relation to each other, ring members cooperating with the cylinders tol provide a container, each of said rings having means adjustable with respect to the cylinders and 4cooperating therewith to provide continuous annular coating slots at'the edges of the cylinder of `smaller diameter for discharging coating material from the container onto the pipe.

4. In a device for applying coating material to a pipe comprising a coating shoe encircling the pipe and formed from a pair of cylinders of different diameters arranged in radially spaced relation to each other, the cylinder of larger diameter being wider than the other cylinder ring members cooperating with the cylinders to provide an annulus and annular slots at the edges of the cylinder of smaller diameter, said rings having means adjustable with respect to the cylinders' to vary the sizes of the slots. i

5. A device for applying coating material to a pipe comprising an annular container consisting of inner and outer cylinders, means operatively connecting the cylinders and holding them in spaced relation radially of the container, and rings secured to the outer cylinder and provided with annular lips which cooperate with the edgesof the inner cylinder to form annular slots for the discharge of coating material from the container.

6. A device for applying coating material to a pipe comprising an annular container consisting of inner and outer cylinders, means operatively lconnecting the cylinders and holding them in spaced relation radially oi the container, and' rings secured to the outer cylinder and provided with annular lips which cooperate with the edges of the inner cylinder to form annular slots for the discharge of coating material from the container,

the inner surfaces of the lips being flared in opposite directions.

7. A device for applying coating material to a pipe comprising an annular container consisting of inner and outer cylinders, means operatively connecting the cylinders and holding them in spaced relation radially of the container, and rings secured to the outer cylinder and provided with annularlips which cooperate with the edges of the inner cylinder to form annular slots for the discharge of coating material from the container, said lips being oppositely inclined and terminating inwardly of the innerfsurface of the inner cylinder. j

8. A device for applying coating material to a pipe comprising an annular container consisting of inner and outer cylinders, means operatively connecting the cylinders and holding them in spaced `relation radially of the container, rings forming parts of the container, and means adjustabiy securing said rings to the outer cylinder, said rings being provided with annular lips which cooperate with the edges of theinner cylinder to form variable annular slots for the discharge of coating material from the container. v

9. A coating shoe comprising a substantially annular housing adapted to surround a pipe in spaced relation thereto and provided with a substantially annular chamber, said housing including a ring and means adjustably connecting said ring to a portion of the housing and forming with another portion of the housing, a variable annular slot at the inner periphery of the housing, saidv slot communicating with the chamber and arranged to discharge coating from the chamber in y a substantially annular stream onto the pipe.

` 10. A coating shoe comprising a substantially annular housing adapted to surround a pipe in spaced relation thereto and provided with a subi stantially annular chamber, rings forming parts Vof the housing, and means adjustably connecting 

